


Return to the Sea: The Son of a Mermaid

by sweetie_buttons



Category: The Little Mermaid - All Media Types
Genre: Genderswap, Mother-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28446672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetie_buttons/pseuds/sweetie_buttons
Summary: Ariel and Eric have a son instead of a daughter. How will the story go?





	1. Chapter 1

In the castle of a kingdom by the sea, the queen was singing.

She had a beautiful voice, and the king and subjects loved to hear her sing. Since she had lost her voice recently, she sung as often as possible. Her voice was as clear and beautiful as the sea by the palace.

But today, she had a special reason for singing. It was the birth of the new prince. Her son. Gazing down at him, she sang her song for him, pouring her love into every note.

"You are my world, my darling." She lifted him up from the cradle. He had his father's dark hair and her blue eyes. She stared into them with her identical ones.

"And what a wonderful world I see." Before, the sea had been her world. Then, the land had been. Now, her son was.

"You are the song I'm singing." She danced around the room, the baby giggling in her arms. She was too delighted to make the lyrics rhyme. "You are my beautiful Chanson."

Ariel had to leave quickly to the ship. She was going out to sea to show everyone her son. The child of a human and mermaid. Well, technically the child of two humans, since Ariel was a human now. She visited her family regularly, though it had been years since she had a tail. She knew they'd be delighted to meet her son.

Truthfully, she had wanted a daughter. She had dreamed of having a little girl she'd dress up and talk about boys with. But she was more than happy with her son as soon as she saw him. She supposed it was only fair, after her father had never gotten the son he'd wanted.

Ariel's sisters came out of the sea, crowding around the ship to meet their nephew. Ariel carefully lowered him so each of them could hold him, after some prompting. She didn't want to let go of him. Sebastian just gawked at the child, seeming in awe of him.

Her father was the happiest to see him. He had always wanted a son, and while he loved his daughters, he was happy to have a grandson. As he came out of the sea, he rested his hand on his grandson's cheek, causing the baby to giggle.

"My dear Chanson, I am giving you this necklace so you will always remember where you came from." He held up a yellow seashell necklace with Chanson's name written on it. He opened it, revealing a miniature transparent version of the palace floating in the air. Chanson giggled, reaching up and trying to touch it.

Ariel smiled at her father. She didn't think things could get any better. She was human like she always wanted, she was married to the man she loved, they had a beautiful son, and she was surrounded by her friends and family. She got the best of both worlds, the land and the sea. A few years ago, she would've thought such a thing was impossible.

But, like all good things, it didn't last.

The celebration was interrupted as a dark cloud spread over the ocean. The mermaids and sea animals cowered, and Ariel did too when she saw what it was. A green-skinned, tentacled woman who greatly resembled Ursula, only skinnier, had joined them. She was accompanied by a huge purple shark that had caused the shadow.

"It's Ursula's crazy sister!" Sebastian exclaimed, gawking at her now instead. Ariel had heard about her, though not nearly as much as Ursula. She was much less famous than her sister. Her name was Morgana. Maybe now, she wanted to avenge her sister.

She grabbed Chanson out of his mother's arms with one of her black tentacles. Ariel screamed while Morgana chuckled.

"Did I miss the cake and ice cream?" she asked mockingly, swaying Chanson in her grip. "Sorry I'm late. My sister wanted to come, but something held her up. Can't quite remember what."

"Release him now!" Triton pointed his trident at her threateningly as Ariel glared daggers at her. Chanson didn't seem scared. In fact, he was smiling in Morgana's grip, as if he didn't even notice he was no longer in his mother's arms.

"Oh! Now I remember what held her up," Morgana said. She glared at Ariel. "You did."

"Please, let my son go!" Ariel pleaded. She wanted nothing more than to blast the vile woman to pieces, but she'd have to beg for now. She must have loved her sister. "I'll do anything you want. Just don't hurt him."

"Well, isn't that touching?" Morgana sneered. She moved Chanson from one of her tentacles to the other. "Well, there is one thing I want."

"What is it?" Triton demanded.

Morgana turned her attention to Triton. "Oh, I couldn't possibly ask it of you. No, it's too big a favor."

"Just tell us!" he demanded. He had seen this happen before with his wife, and he wasn't prepared to see it happen to his grandson.

"I want your trident." She paused. "See? Told you it was too big."

"Never!" Triton roared, pointing it at her to demonstrate. "Ursula already tried that, and you know what happened to her.

"Oh, that's too bad." She juggled Chanson to another tentacle, causing him to giggle. "Then I guess your precious grandson will have to go. It's a shame, really. He's ever so cute."

As Triton contemplated his next move, Ariel couldn't handle it anymore. She grabbed the sword Eric was carrying out of the belt of his pants, to his surprise, and used it to slice the rope on the ship. It swung across the deck and hit Morgana, causing her to fly across the ocean. She dropped Chanson and caught him in one of her tentacles. He hung over the huge shark, his jaws open. Ariel's heart dropped. What had she done? She had tried to protect Chanson, but only made things worse.

Eric seemed to be thinking the same way as her. He grabbed the remaining rope and swung across the deck onto the sea, grabbing his son in his arms, and swung back to the ship. He had done so many times before on voyages, while landing on the new land or back at home. He had enjoyed the thrill and sense of adventure, but now, he was worried for his son.

As the shark leapt up, Triton pointed his trident at him, emitting light and causing him to shink to the size of a seahorse. He cried out in a squeaky, hoarse voice while Morgana cried out in fury.

"This isn't the end of this, Triton!" She spun around, creating a black tidepool in the clear blue ocean. The guards went after her, but it was too late. She had disappeared into the ocean with her now tiny shark.

Ariel felt disillusioned. A few minutes ago, they had been enjoying a christening for her son on a beautiful day, surrounded by friends and family, and then everything had suddenly changed all at once.

At least she had Chanson back. He was still smiling in his father's arms, seeming blissfully unaware of what had just happened. Ariel took him from Eric, clutching him to her chest and breathing in his scent. She never wanted to let go.

"Ariel..." She heard her father's voice. "We should get back to the palace."

She nodded mutely. Things might have turned out bad, but she still had her boy, and that was all that mattered.

As soon as they were back on land, Chanson squirmed in his mother's grasp, reaching his hands out to the sea. Ariel held onto him tighter. She knew he wanted to go there. It was in his blood.

"We have to keep Chanson away from the ocean," she announced. It pained her to do so. "Morgana is still after him. He can't go in there, not until she's found."

"We'll find her," Triton assured. "I have all my men looking for her."

"Once she's found, then maybe he can go back," Ariel conceded. "But until then..."

"You're right, Ariel," Eric agreed, though the decision pained him as well. "We have to keep him away."

With a heavy heart, Ariel took the necklace off him, which he was chewing and covering with saliva, and handed it to her father. "He must never know about our world. At least, not until much later."

Triton took the necklace, eyeing it with sadness. "You're right, Ariel. If it keeps Chanson safe."

The words sounded very familiar. She watched her father retreat into the ocean, dropping the necklace into its depths. Chanson started crying upon seeing his grandfather leave, or maybe due to seeing him take his necklace, and reached his arms out to the sea again. Ariel stepped away from the shore, feeling a sense of deja vu.

No, it was different. There was an actual threat in the ocean. Morgana, the evil sea witch, was after Chanson. Then again, her father had felt there was a legitimate threat on the land. Humans had killed his wife. But Ariel couldn't let her little boy near the sea. It just wasn't safe, not until Morgana was found. She hugged him close. She didn't know how she could ever let go of him, let alone let him in the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time deciding the name for male Melody. I wanted it to be a music-related name, but there aren't many boy ones. That's why I like girl names more, more variety. Chanson is a French word meaning song. One of the cooks in the castle is French, so maybe Eric can speak it and decided to name their son that. I think it would've been interesting for Ariel to have a son, since her father had so many daughters. I like how it showed a mother/daughter relationship. They say Brave is the first Disney film to do that, but this did as well. But there's even less mother/son relationships. I think it's the least talked about of the parent/child pairs. So it'd be interesting to explore one.


	2. Chapter 2

Twelve years later, Prince Chanson emerged out of then water, unknowingly in the same way his mother had years ago. He swam over to a rock sticking out of the sea, where a crab and seagull were perched on. Most children would run–or swim–away from such creatures, but Chanson rested his arm on the rock and started talking to them.

"Hey, Sebastian. Hey, Scuttle." Those weren't pretend names he had given them, but their actual names. "What's up?"

"What's up?" the crab shrieked. He hadn't been through this many times before with the boy's mother. "Chanson, how many times do I have to tell you–"

"It is expressly forbidden to go swimming beyond the wall," Chanson finished, lifting himself up onto the rock. He hated the wall. It cast a barrier between the palace and the sea. "I know, I know. I can't help it. I just love the sea!" He stood up and jumped off the rock, splashing the little crab with water.

"If your mother knew you were swimming out here..." he sputtered indignantly. The boy was just like his mother.

"I know, I know," Chanson sighed. He couldn't only imagine the lecture. He didn't know what was so bad about the sea. He had snuck there to go swimming since he had turned six, and never once gotten hurt. His mother was just paranoid. "What's she got against the ocean, anyway? I think it's a great place."

He gazed at the horizon, the sun glinting on the water. It looked so beautiful. He wanted to swim further, but didn't dare to. He sometimes dreamed of swimming away from the castle and finding new lands. Maybe there, he'd have parents who let him go swimming whenever he liked, and didn't lecture him.

He ducked underwater again, ignoring Sebastian's shout. The little crab was almost as bad as his mother. He could see perfectly clearly under the water, not irritating his eyes in the slightest. He didn't know if that was normal or not. He could stay underwater for a long time too. Whenever he took baths, he always stayed under the bath for as long as possible, until his mother pulled him out. He saw fish and coral and rocks, bright under the sunlight. It was so beautiful whenever he went underwater.

He wondered if Atlantica existed under the water. He had read books about the underwater kingdom of merpeople, ruled by the king of the sea, but his mother had told him it was fiction, simply a fairytale. But he always hoped that it was real and he would find it. He liked the idea of being a merman. He could swim forever, and live in the underwater castle instead of his actual castle. But of course, it was most likely a fairytale.

At the bottom of the sea from where he was, he spotted something stuck under the sand. He didn't know what he was, but swam deeper to look at it. He pulled it out with some difficulty, since it was weighed down by all the sand. It was a seashell, with sand stuck to it that wasn't washing off. It must've been there for quite a while. He then noticed a bit of string attached to it. It seemed to be a necklace.

He swam back up to the surface, carrying the seashell. It glinted in the sunlight. Upon impulse, he put it on over his neck. It felt weird for him to wear a necklace, but he felt stronger when he put it on. He felt like it belonged to him.

"...like your mother," Sebastian was saying. Chanson knew he must've still been lecturing him when he went underwater. He quickly took the necklace off. Sebastian noticed him again, a scowl on his red face. "I should tell your mother about this."

"Please don't," Chanson said half-heartedly, though he knew it was an empty threat. Sebastian always said he would, but never did, though Chanson didn't know why. It'd be easier for him if he did. "She'd never understand."

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?" the seagull suggested. Chanson liked him more than Sebastian. He was much nicer and less nagging, if a little scatterbrained.

Sebastian scoffed. "Oh, yes. Tell her you've been swimming out here. Then we'll have a great party."

"Party?" Chanson's eyes widened. How could he have forgotten? It was his twelfth birthday, and the whole castle was preparing for the party. "Oh, no! I have to go!" He started swimming quickly towards the wall, cursing himself for being so stupid.

* * *

Chanson ran through the palace, dripping wet and carrying Sebastian in a pouch. He didn't want to bring him, but the crab insisted on being wherever he went, to his annoyance. Thankfully, he managed to avoid everyone as he made his way to his room, until he bumped into a group of girls.

"Oh, your highness," one of them said with a curtesy, but there was a smirk on her face. Chanson blushed, hiding the pouch behind his back. He almost would've preferred to bump into a servant instead of a group of girls who saw him in his wet play clothes and bare feet. He knew one of them. She was a very pretty girl with red hair, and had an equally amused expression on her face. He kind of liked her, and hated that he had bumped into her like that.

"Uh... I gotta go," he said, making his way around the corner. He paused as he heard them talking about him.

"If you ask me, he's a little strange." It was the same girl who had talked to him. "I sometimes hear him talking to the animals outside the palace."

"He is pretty weird." His heart dropped. It was the girl he liked talking. "I sometimes hear him singing and talking to himself." She laughed, and the other girls did as well.

He quickly left before he could hear any more. Was he really that odd? He did talk to animals, and he did like singing, but he didn't know they thought that about him.

He managed to make it up to his room, still thinking about what the red-haired girl had said. He had liked her more than he thought. Her words disappointed him. He forced himself to forget about her. He had a party to focus on.

He dropped the pouch with Sebastian on his dresser and grabbed a silk towel, quickly drying himself off. As he was shaking drops of water out of his hair, he jumped out of his skin as he heard a knock on the door. "Chanson? Are you there?"

He cursed under his breath. It was his mother. "Give me a minute!" he called, heading for his closet. He heard his father say something, but didn't focus on it. He grabbed the suit for his birthday party and changed into it as quickly as possible. He placed the belt on the dresser and while reaching to put it on, accidentally grabbed the pouch as well, and got it tied to the belt while hurriedly putting it on. He felt Sebastian digging into his skin, but before he could do anything, his mother opened the door.

"Where have you been?" She looked angry and relieved as the same time. "I've been searching everywhere for you."

"Sorry, Mother," he replied, not answering the question.

Then her face softened, seeming to forget her anger. "Did you forget about your own birthday?"

"Of course not," Chanson lied.

"Well, I'm just glad you made it. For a moment, I thought the birthday boy wasn't going to show up to his own birthday." She entered. "Oh, you look so handsome." She adjusted the collar on his suit and straightened his hair. "I bet no one will be able to take their eyes off you."

"Mother," Chanson muttered, embarrassed, as he stepped away.

"Let me brush your hair." She picked up the comb on his dresser and started running it through his wet hair while he protested. "Mom..." He hated how she was always fussing over his hair. He thought it was fine the way it was.

She frowned. "Why is your hair all wet?"

Chanson froze. "Uh... I was taking a bath." Well, that wasn't entirely a lie. It was a bath in the ocean. It would also explain where he had been.

"Oh, that's where you were," Ariel said, starting to brush his hair. "You know, sometimes I think I can never keep track of you. You're always running off."

Chanson didn't reply. He always worried she'd find out where he ran off to, but luckily, she hadn't.

"Everyone's been getting ready for your party," Ariel said. "Aren't you excited?"

"I guess," Chanson muttered. Truthfully, he wasn't. He would've preferred to spend the day swimming.

When Ariel was done brushing his hair, she gently pushed him towards the mirror. "Look at you, honey. You look wonderful."

Chanson stepped away, not meeting his mother's eyes. "Not really."

Ariel frowned. "What's wrong? I can tell something's bothering you."

"Nothing," Chanson lied. He fiddled with his clothes, like he always did when he lied. Great. He gave it away.

"You know you can always tell me anything," Ariel assured. "Tell me what's wrong. It's not just the party, is it?"

He knew his mother's words were untrue. He couldn't tell her anything. She'd freak out if she's knew he was swimming past the wall. There was another thing bothering him, but he couldn't tell her that either. She wouldn't understand. Maybe he could tell his father instead.

Just then, the door opened and his father stepped in. "Oh, Chanson, you're here! For a moment, I thought you were going to miss your own party."

"That's what Mother said," Chanson muttered. He couldn't tell his father now. There was a party to get to.

Eric seemed to notice something was wrong too, but didn't comment. "Well, let's go. Wouldn't want to be late to your own party."

As they headed to the ballroom, Chanson hung behind. Eric stayed with him while Ariel went forward, not noticing. "Chanson, is something wrong?"

"Father, do you think I'm... weird?"

"Weird?" Eric repeated. "Why would you think that?"

"Oh," Eric said knowingly. "All boys have trouble impressing girls at your age. I know I did. But in a few years, they won't think your eyes weird. They'll think the opposite."

At the party, the red-haired girl offered to dance with Chanson. He felt nervous, remembering what she had said about him, but she had a friendly smile on her face. He remembered all his dancing lessons, but now they seemed completely useless. He managed to avoid stepping on her toes at least. He could feel Sebastian on his back and silently prayed he wouldn't reveal himself.

He was just starting to feel comfortable with dancing when she put her arm around his waist and he stiffened, not for me the action, but because he remembered Sebastian was there. A moment later, she let out a scream and pulled her arm back. The crab was now attached to her hand. Everyone either screamed or laughed, Chanson doing the former. Why had he been so stupid to grab Sebastian? 

The girl waved her arm wildly, causing the crustacean to fly through the air and land in the birthday cake. It was mostly still the same, but Chanson doubted anyone would eat it now that a crab had been on it. He certainly wouldn't.

But he didn't care about the cake. He walked over and talked to Sebastian. "Sebastian, are you okay?"

He heard laughter behind him. "So he does talk to animals." His heart sank. It was the red-haired girl.

Chanson felt his face heating up. Everyone was laughing at him. They all thought he was weird. The chef screamed upon seeing Sebastian and ran after him brandishing a knife.

Chanson put aside his feelings and yelled for the chef to stop. The crab might be annoying, but he didn't want him to be turned into a meal. It was only when his mother intervened that the chef reluctantly left him alone. Sebastian ran away from the disastrous party, and so did Chanson. He ran back up to his room, ignoring his mother calling to him. He threw himself onto his bed, trying not to cry. His birthday was ruined. He should never have showed up.

After a while, when he had changed out of his suit, he heard his mother come in. "Oh, honey. I'm so sorry about what happened." She sat down next to hm and placed a hand on his back. "We can have another party. I can get Chef Louis to–"

"Oh, Mom," he interrupted, wiping away his tears. "I'm the prince of disaster!"

"Oh, honey. You're not." She started to rub his back. "Being your age is hard. All kids your age feel... uh, awkward, and–"

Chanson was holding the necklace he had found. He didn't know why. It felt comforting to hold it. He brushed away the grimy sand, seeing letters written on it. Curious, he brushed more off until he saw a word. It was his name. Chanson.

"What's that?" His mother noticed it then. "Chanson, what have you got?"

He was alarmed by the stern tone in her voice. "It has my name on it."

"Give me that." She reached for it, but he held onto it tightly. He wondered if he could open it like a clam. When he tried to lift one side with his hand, he found he could. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and both Chanson and his mother gasped. The light turned to a globe floating in the air with an imagine inside it. It was a shining castle with mermaids swimming around it. Chanson gasped again. It looked just like how he imagined Atlantica looking from the stories he had read.

"Atlantica," he gasped. "The underwater kingdom of merpeople." He glanced at his mother, who looked even more shocked than him. He felt a mixture of confused, hurt, and excited. Maybe it wasn't a fairytale after all. Maybe it was real. "Mother, you always told me it was just a fairytale."

"Where did you get that?" she demanded, snatching the necklace from him and closing it. Before her son could answer, she went on. "You went over the wall, didn't you?"

"Actually, I went under it," Chanson clarified. "I hate that stupid wall! I wish I could just knock it down."

A stern look crossed Ariel's face. "You know you're not allowed to go in the sea! You don't know what's out there."

"You're right, I don't," Chanson agreed, anger filling him. He was sick of his mother dictating everything he did. "Because you won't tell me. And why does that necklace have my name on it? Could you at least tell me that?"

"You deliberately disobeyed me!" she yelled, ignoring his questions. Like usual. He had never seen her so angry before. "I never want you going out there again, do you hear me? It's dangerous in the sea!"

"How would you know?" Chanson yelled, unable to stop the tears in his eyes. "You've never even been in it!" He snatched the necklace from his mother and ran out, the tears running down his face. What was his mother hiding from him? Why did the necklace have his name on it? What had he seen inside it? Was Atlantica real? He needed answers, and his mother wouldn't give him any. He'd just have to find them himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chanson stood in the water again, looking out at the dark, still sea under the evening sky. Despite the events of the day, being near the sea and feeling the water under his feet calmed him. It would've been better if he hadn't left. He'd spend the whole day swimming happily, never showing up to his party. That was, if his mother never went looking for him and took him out of the water, which was highly unlikely.

He glanced at the necklace in his hands, tracing his name. It had come from the sea. Maybe that was where he belonged. It did have his name on it.

"Chanson!" He cringed at the sound of the crab's accented voice. He had crawled under the wall and was glaring at Chanson. "What are you doing here again, young man?"

"I have to go," Chanson insisted, not looking away from the sea. "I have to find answers."

"No you don't!" The crab scuttled up to him. It always amazed Chanson how irritating such a small creature could be. "This is the last place you should be. You need to get back to the palace, now."

"And be stuck there for the rest of my life?" Chanson scoffed.

"Yes!" Sebastian's reply made Chanson bristle with anger. "It's for your own good." Then his voice softened. "I'm sorry about your party. I ruined everything."

"Yes, you did," Chanson snapped, immediately regretting it. It wasn't really Sebastian's fault. It was his own, for being so weird.

"But you have to get back in the castle." His voice became stern again. "If you don't, I really will tell your mother this time. And I'm not joking."

On any other occasion, Chanson would've laughed it off, but this time, there was a serious tone in Sebastian's voice that made him think he was telling the truth. "She already knows," he admitted. "She got mad at me when she found out."

"What?" The crab's eyes widened.

"I found this necklace there." He unfurled his fist, glancing down at it. "It has my name on it."

Sebastian gasped. "What necklace?"

Chanson crouched down and showed it to him. Sebastian gasped again as he gazed intently at it, a look of shock filling his face. Chanson could tell he knew where the necklace came from. "Do you know why it has my name?" he inquired. Sebastian didn't reply. "And that's not all." He stood up and opened it, causing light to flash out and the floating picture to appear.

For a moment, Sebastian gazed at the image, seeming enthralled. Then he started lecturing. "Chanson! You can't have that."

"Why not?" he demanded. "What is it? You know something about it, don't you? Tell me!" Getting a sudden idea, he said, "I'll go back, if you tell me why the necklace has my name on it." He didn't particularly like that idea, but at least he'd have answers.

Sebastian looked like he was seriously considering the deal, but then said, "No. I can't tell you."

Sudden anger filled Chanson like a tidal wave. All his life, people had hid things from him, kept him in the dark, never explaining why. Looking down at the mysterious necklace, almost taunting him with the name written on it, more anger fill him. Crouching down, he picked up Sebastian, ignoring his protests, and angrily flung him through the air, landing against the wall. He immediately regretted his burst of anger and ran over, crouching next to him.

"Sebastian, are you okay? I'm sorry!" The crab was stirring feebly at the bottom of the wall. As soon as he stood up again, he glared at Chanson.

"I have just about had it with you, young man! I haven't met such an impossible child in years! First you sneak past the wall, going swimming without a care in the world, and then..."

Chanson's guilt quickly faded, replaced by annoyance. The crab had gone into one of his lectures again. Once he started, there was nothing that could stop him. At least he had gotten good at tuning him out.

Actually... maybe that was a good thing. He gazed out at the sea. Maybe he wouldn't even notice if he left. He walked further into the water, until he was waist deep. He submerged his head underwater, and was thankful not to hear the crab's annoying voice anymore. He prayed he hadn't noticed.

He immediately felt better as he continued to swim through the cold darkness that enveloped him. He felt all his worries and troubles wash off him. The effect the sea had on him was always incredible. If his mother would only give the sea a chance, she'd see how amazing it was too, how wrong she'd been about it. It also gave him some satisfaction to be disobeying his mother again.

He knew he couldn't swim too far, but it was too late to back out now. It would've been helpful if he had a boat. The water was so dark that he couldn't see where he was going. He had never swam this late before. Still, he couldn't turn back now. He swam with determination, further than he ever had before.

He had to come up for air after a while. He could stay underwater for a long time, but not forever. He had started to feel his lungs constrict under the water. When he went under again, he glimpsed something at the bottom like earlier that day, despite how dark it was. It was much larger than the necklace, and buried under the sand and coral. Curiously, he swam down, and realised with a start how deep in he was. The bottom of the sea had never been so far away before.

He felt around for the object. It was too dark to see what it was. It felt like it was made out of wood. He brushed off bits of sand and seaweed that covered it. He grasped it with both hands and tugged with all his might, but it didn't budge. He found he could stand in it. He stepped forward and nearly tripped over the end of it. Maybe it was a rowboat, he thought hopefully.

He swam right to the bottom and wrapped both his arms around the bottom of the object. Taking a deep breath, he pulled as hard as possible, and felt it slowly lift up. His arms ached as he pulled more, and soon it was yanked out from the bottom, bits of sand and seaweed falling off. Chanson had to let go and it landed back on the land, but he could lift it easily this time.

After he swam up to the surface while pushing it, he saw, with delight, that it was indeed a rowboat, bobbing on the water. He carefully swung his foot over and sat down in it, gasping when it nearly tipped over. He picked up bits of sand and debris and tossed them into the water. He gazed around at the dark, unmoving sea, so different from how it looked in the day, and then looked over his shoulder. His heart dropped as he saw how far away he was from the shore. The great wall looked tiny now.

It was lucky he had found the boat. It seemed almost too convenient. It was only too bad there weren't any oars. But what had it been doing at the bottom of the ocean? Maybe, Chanson thought with a shudder, someone had gone rowing and drowned. The thought filled him with fear. Would the same thing happen to him?

No, it wouldn't. He had to set off. He couldn't rest until he found answers.

With a look of determination in his eyes, he used his arms as oars, striking them fiercely through the water. It was rather difficult, but the water was still, so it wasn't as bad as it could've been. The night was completely silent, free of the usual sounds he heard in the sea. It was starting to spook him a little.

It didn't take long for his arms to get tired. He rested them on the boat, shaking them slightly and causing drops of water to fall off. He glanced behind him and could still see the wall, though it was barely a speck now. Or maybe it was harder to see because of how dark it was. He felt uncertainty fill him. It wasn't too late to back out. He could go back to the castle, in his cosy room, and drift off to sleep in his warm bed. His parents wouldn't even notice he had left.

No, of course they'd notice. They were probably looking for him now. He had to keep going until they found him. Until he couldn't see the wall he hated so much anymore. He placed his arms back in the water, but they were too tired to propel the boat. As he placed them back in his lap, the water suddenly splashed, as if something was swimming in it. Chanson froze. Was it an animal? He relaxed slightly. Maybe he could talk to them, like he talked to Sebastian and Scuttle. Maybe they could even help him.

As it emerged from the dark, moonlit water, Chanson froze again. It looked like a tiny shark, the size of a fish. Or maybe it was a type of fish he'd never seen before. It was purple with black stripes and had a fin sticking up, staring at him with dark, beady eyes. He was comfortable with most sea animals, but some freaked him out, like whatever that one was. It opened its mouth to reveal sharp teeth.

"Dear child." Chanson jumped as it spoke. It had a low, raspy male voice. "What are you doing out here?" 

"Uh... I left my home to come here," Chanson admitted, trying to keep his voice calm. At least he could talk. Maybe he was friendly, despite his appearance.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, staring curiously at him. When Chanson didn't reply, he said, "Oh, how rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Undertow." Chanson knew that was the name of something under the water. 

"I... found this necklace." He reached up to touch it around his neck. Despite the situation, he fought back a laugh. If the girls at home thought he was weird, they'd think he was weirder for wearing a necklace. "It has my name on it."

"Show me," Undertow hissed. Chanson reluctantly took it off and lowered it to the little shark, but kept it a distance away from him.

"Chanson," he read, sounding curious as he said his name. Chanson thought he saw a smile form on his face with his sharp teeth.

"Yeah," he replied, withdrawing the necklace again. "I want to know what it is, and why it has my name on it. My mother wouldn't tell me." He wasn't sure why he was being so honest with the creature.

"I know someone who could," Undertow declared. "Her name is Morgana."

"Morgana?" Chanson repeated. The name sounded familiar to him, though he didn't know why.

"Yes, child. She lives in the sea. She could give you all the answers. Follow me." He started to swim away before pausing, waiting for him.

"Wait," Chanson called. He hesitated. Could he trust him? Or whoever Morgana was? He didn't know, but he knew he needed answers. He couldn't bear being kept in the dark for any longer. If his mother wouldn't give them to him, he'd find them from others. Besides, the creature had been nicer to him than Sebastian, and more willing to provide answers. "I... I can't move the boat," he said.

Undertow turned, and Chanson saw a glint of satisfaction in his dark eyes. He was probably just excited to help him. He swam behind the little rowboat, and Chanson suddenly felt himself moving again, faster than before. He was surprised how strong the little creature was for his small size. He would've enjoyed the ride if he wasn't so desperate to find answers and anxious about meeting Morgana.

* * *

Ariel frantically ran her hand through her hair, Eric sitting next to her. He had overheard everything. "Ariel, we knew this day would come," he said. 

She had always known it would, deep down, but she always denied it, not wanting to believe it. She hoped it never would come, but it did. At least she had been given twelve years before it did.

She recalled the events of the night. The party had been a disaster, and she had felt useless trying to comfort Chanson. She knew he had liked the girl he had danced with. She had a feeling it would've been easier to talk to him if he was a girl. She had wanted to have another child with Eric, to try for a girl, but it wasn't safe with Morgana on the loose. She loved her son, but didn't always know how to reach out to him or connect with him, the same way she would if he was her daughter. Ever since about a year ago, it had felt like there was a divide between mother and son. Like the divide between the castle and sea...

And then, she had found out he had gone past the wall and found the necklace with his name on it, and she had erupted with anger and worry. At least he seemed unharmed. If Morgana found him, she didn't know what she'd do. She almost laughed at the irony. She had sounded just like her father when scolding her son for disobeying her. When he had yelled back at her, she had seen herself as a teenager, yelling at her father for being unfair. It was like she had become her father. She supposed it was karma after all the trouble she had put him through. Maybe he wasn't completely unfair and unreasonable after all.

"We should tell her the truth," Eric suggested, rubbing his arm soothingly up Ariel's. "We should've done it years ago."

"Yes... you're right," Ariel replied. There was no point hiding the truth any longer, now that Chanson had found the necklace. She only hoped he wouldn't hate him after she revealed what she had been hiding from him.

As they left Chanson's room, Ariel suddenly wondered where he had run off to. She asked one of the maids if she had seen him, and she had said he had run past her, which wasn't very helpful. But when she asked other maids while searching the castle with Eric, she said he had run out of the castle. Ariel's heart sank. Had he gone past the wall again? Did he really have the nerve to? She had to fight back a dry laugh. He really was more like her than she thought.

She and Eric exited the castle, yelling their son's name. It was dark, and Ariel felt scared at the thought of him swimming so late. Surely even he wouldn't do such a thing. Then she heard a familiar voice wailing in the distance.

"Sebastian!" Ariel exclaimed as the crab scuttled up to her, sobbing into the hem of her dress. "Where's Chanson?"

"He's gone," he sobbed. "It's all my fault. He went out to the sea! I tried to stop him, I really did. But–"

Ariel ignored the rest of his tirade as her heart sank. Her worst fears were confirmed. Her heart filled with fear... and guilt. Why hadn't she told him the truth instead of yelling at him for disobeying her? Now he was gone, and it was all her fault. She felt another wave of guilt. Was that how her father had felt when she had left home?

"He threw you?" Eric was asking in disbelief.

"He picked me up and threw me against the wall." Sebastian's guilt was replaced by anger for a moment. "The little..." Ariel was surprised to hear that, and also slightly amused. It sounded like something she'd do as a teenager when she got particularly annoyed with Sebastian's nagging. "I started scolding him, and I went on and on, and I didn't even notice when he went into the sea! Oh, I'm such a–"

"Well, he can't have gone far," said Eric, trying to keep his voice calm. Ariel was always grateful for how calm he remained in situations like this.

"Oh, but he could!" Sebastian sobbed. "I saw him on a boat in the middle of the sea. Where he got it from, I don't know. I called out to him, but he couldn't hear me. And then he started sailing away."

Ariel kicked him off her dress, not out of anger, but out of worry for Chanson. Her heart sank as low as the sea. This was all her fault. If she had paid more attention to him... no, if she had told him the truth. She was going to, but now it was too late. Now he was gone, all alone and unprotected in the sea. She would never forgive herself.

Eric turned to Ariel, seeming less calm and more panicked now. He was worried about his son too. "Ariel, we have to find him."

Ariel nodded mutely. Her heart filled with fear as she imagined Morgana finding him. She hadn't seen the witch in years, but was still frightened by the thought of her. She could clearly remember the day she had tried to kill Chanson as a baby. What if she... no, she couldn't think about that. She would find him. She would swim all the seas of the world if she could find her baby. Before the evil sea witch did instead. She could only imagined what terrible thing she'd do to him once she got her hands on him.

* * *

"My dear child," Morgana said, smiling sweetly at Chanson. "So you came to visit me? Wise decision. Very wise indeed." 

She was the strangest person Chanson had ever seen. She wasn't a fish, but wasn't quite a person either. She had pale green skin and black tentacles instead of legs or even a mermaid tail. Something about her gave Chanson an uneasy feeling, despite how friendly she was being.

"I was told you could help me," Chanson explained, unconsciously reaching up to touch his necklace. He shivered in the cold temperature, wrapping his arms around himself. He wished he hadn't a jacket. He had been taken to an iceberg at a colder part of the ocean where Morgana resided. It seemed to be her home. He could see ice shelves with various viles and strange objects on them. 

"Indeed, I can." She floated so close to him that he backed away. "What is it, my dear?"

"This necklace." Chanson took it off. "It has my name on it. I was wondering if you could tell me why. My mother wouldn't."

"Your mother?" For a moment, her smile faded and an angry look crossed her face, but then it immediately returned. "Oh, of course. Yes, I can explain."

She reached out her hand, indicating for Chanson to offer her the necklace. He hesitated. He felt attached to it, and not just because it had his name on it. He handed it to her. She observed it with great interest. "Chanson?" For the second time, her smile faded as she said his name, but then it returned. "Oh, yes. That's a lovely name."

"Uh... thank you," Chanson replied. He started to relax a little. She did seem nice, if a little odd. "But why is it there?"

"Perhaps you could tell me where you got it from," she suggested.

Chanson cringed. He didn't want to remember. It just reminded him of that argument with his mother. "I found it in the sea."

"The sea?" Morgana inquired. "You were swimming there?"

"I love to," Chanson replied. "But my mother doesn't let me. I always sneak to the sea to swim there. I love being there. She got mad when she found out. And when she found I had the necklace."

"Oh, that is most unfortunate," Morgana crooned. "Your mother doesn't sound too understanding."

"She isn't." Chanson started to rant as he felt bitterness overcome him. "She won't even explain why I'm not allowed in the sea. She's completely unfair. I love being there, but she wouldn't understand. Sometimes... sometimes, I wish I could live there, instead of at home," he confessed.

"Oh, you're not the only one with a mother who doesn't understand," Morgana crooned. "My mother never understood me either."

"What was she like?" Chanson asked.

"She was always comparing me to my sister," Morgana explained, scowling. "It was always 'Why can't you be more like your sister, your sister never acted like this!" She glared into the distance, seeming to forget Chanson was there. "They always ignored me for her. Always paying attention to her instead."

"Oh..." Chanson couldn't relate. He was an only child, and if anything, his parents gave him too much attention. He decided to tell her. "My mother pays too much attention to me. She's always keeping an eye on me. She won'r let me do anything."

"You should feel lucky she pays attention to you at all," Morgana retorted. Chanson bristled slightly. She didn't understand, not really.

"But can you explain the necklace?" he asked, suddenly remembering it.

"Not exactly," Morgana replied after a pause. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer."

"What?" Chanson cried. He had come all the way for nothing. Maybe this lady wasn't to be trusted after all.

"But I can help you," she said, smiling at him.

"How can you help me if you can't explain?" Chanson asked glumly.

"I can give you what you've always wanted," she said. "What you've dreamed about."

"What? How?" He was intrigued.

"I can turn you into... a merman." She paused for dramatic effect.

"What?" Chanson was shocked, and disbelieving. How could she turn him into a merman? He had always been told mermaids and mermen were myths. But another part of him was excited. If she wasn't lying...

"It's very simple, really." Morgana floated away and returned with a small vial filled with liquid. "I pour a drop of this onto your legs, and they turn into a tail."

"Really?" Chanson gasped. Was it really that simple?

"Of course," Morgana replied. "Just give me your legs."

The slight nervousness Chanson felt quickly turned to excitement. This was even better than finding answers. He'd get what he had always wanted. He'd be a part of the sea, like he'd always dreamed of. It sounded too good to be true. Maybe it was. Would it really work?

It was worth a try. He sat down and spread out both of his legs, watching eagerly as Morgana raised the vial and opened it. She tilted it slightly and unbearably slowly, before a tiny green drop fell on one of his legs. Then she did it again on his other leg. Chanson felt a warm, tingling sensation that quickly intensified. He watched in awe as light enveloped his legs. He could feel them changing, merging together. The light grew so bright that he had to close his eyes. When he opened them again, he let out a gasp. Where his legs used to be, he now had a red tail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised I didn't know where Melody got the rowboat from in the movie. I was considering either having Chanson find it underwater or nearly drowning and Undertow rescuing him. I was also considering either having him sneak off while Sebastian was too busy lecturing him to notice, or throw Sebastian in anger and knock him unconscious, but decided on both.


End file.
